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Monday, June 18, 2012

The 2008 season is still fresh in the minds of many Phillies fans. It's been a while ago, but we're still faithful that this team in 2012 somehow has the moxie to pull it all together and get to the World Series again.

Brad Lidge had a big part of the season in 2008, he did the extraordinary as a reliever, he had 41 saves as a reliever with 69.1 innings pitched and a 1.95 ERA all season. He didn't blow one save opportunity all season this year. He was what you would call, 'money'. Lidge finished 8th in overall MVP voting for the National League and he finished 4th in Cy Young voting for his outstanding season.

That '08 season was one that Lidge would never see again. The Phillies rewarded Lidge with a 3 year deal for $36M, after the World Series win in 2008. In 2009, Lidge had the opposite happen to him to what had went on only a year prior. Lidge finished up the season 0-8 for the year with a 7.21 ERA, he gave up 45 earned runs in 58.2 innings pitched in '09, anyone could hit him and then came word that he was injured. He was not the same pitcher, injured or not.

Brad went in for surgeries on his right knee following the 2009 season, he also had minor surgery for his elbow as well. The knee had bothered Lidge all of the '09 season, back then when asked whether or not the knee was still bothering him he said, "[The inflammation is] still there, and it might be for a while, but I'm not thinking about it when I'm pitching."

In 2010, the Phillies had Lidge on the mound for 45.2 innings during the regular season. He finished up 1-1 with a 2.96 ERA and 27 saves during the regular season.It seemed if he had turned a corner, like he was starting to return to his old form for a while.

Then in 2011, Lidge only pitched 19.1 innings, he finished up 0-2 with a 1.40 ERA for the Phillies in the final year of the three year deal. He was injured again.

Lidge has made in his whole career about what the Phillies paid closer Jonathan Papelbon for to come here for 4 seasons.

The injuries still plague Brad Lidge, just yesterday he was waived from the Washington Nationals after coming back from an abdominal injury, the Nationals had seen enough from Brad. Lidge had been signed to a 1 year deal for $1 million. The Yankees hit him around pretty good on Friday night in the Nationals loss against the Yankees, and then on Saturday, the gave up the winning runs to the Yankees in extra innings and that was all.

There was immediate talk about Lidge possibly coming back to the Phillies, but I don't think that it would benefit either the Phils or Lidge to do that. Maybe the Nationals gave the Phillies some inspiration to start making some moves with certain players on this team that aren't getting the job done. Ruben Amaro has been very quiet on what he's going to do with this team, as it looks obvious that there will be no playoff run anytime soon from this 2012 Phillies team.